Position indicator mechanism for elevators



July 5, 1960 A. E. PRINCE 2,944,244

PosmoN INDICATOR MEcHANIsM FOR ELEvAToRs Filed oct. 2o, 195e er gpy wagner t tion indicator lamps or bulbs ,of of toggle switch TS4. g Y to remove the position indicatorcircuit from operation. Stationary contact 43 of toggle switch TS4 is connected 43 and 44 of toggle switch TS3 of shaft 21,

ber has ailixed at one end a contact 54 which engages with stationary contact 43 when switch lever 51 is in one extreme position, and at its other end a contact 55 which engages with stationary contact 44 when switch lever 51 is in the other extremeposition. A substantially U-shaped toggle link 57 having a web portion 57a is pivotally secured to housing member 35 by means of two' pins 58. Shoulders 59 and 60` formed in housing member 35 act asstops to limit the movement of toggle link 57. A roller 62 of insulating material is rotatably secured to toggle link 57 by means of stud 64 the end of which protrudes through web portion 57a. A coil spring 66 under compression has `one end positioned around the protruding end of stud'64 and presses at that end against web portion 57a and at the other end against .oversize washer 68 which in turn rests on shoulders formed on the adjacent end `of lber 51a of switch lever 51.

In the manner characteristic of such. switches, the movement of toggle link 57 to'a position slightly past its midposition results in a snap action of switch lever vertically extending mem- 51 to open the contacts at one of its ends and close those,

at its opposite end substantially simultaneously. Spring `66 provides, in either position, sucient tension to hold the contacting members securely together.

'Details' of cam C are shown in Figure 4 wherein two cam members 70, one each of which is secured, as by welding, to a bracket A71 which bracketin turn in secured by means of a bolt 72 to crosshead 24, engageopposite sides of roller 62 and are so configurated as to impart sidewisemotion to roller 62 and in turn toffgle link 57, as vthe crosshead moves either up or down.

Figure 5 illustrates diagrammatically a position indicator circuit arangement using toggle switches TS1 to TS4 of Figure 1. Alternating `power from any suitable source (not shown) Iis supplied-over lines W12 and W13 to posi- PI-l to PI- the number suffix of eachrlamp corresponding to the floor landing for which that lamp is provided. These lamps or bulbs PI-l to 5 may be of the incandescent type and may be mounted i yforexample on a panel located in theY lobby of the building, along with similar lamps for other cars -in the group or-may be mountedin a panel located within the car for which `they are provided.

w Supply line W12y isA electrically connected through manual switch contacts MASI to movable contacts 54 and Manual switch MS is utilized to one sideo'f position indicator lamp PI-5, the other stationary contact 44 being connected to movable contacts 54 and V55 of toggle switch TSS. The stationary contacts are similarly connected to lamp .Pl-4 and movable contacts. 54, 55 kof toggle switch TS2, respectively, while the stationary contacts v43 and 44 of toggle switch TS2 are in turn similarly connected tol lamp PI-3 and movable contacts 54, 55 of toggle switch TS1, respectively. Stationary contacts 43 and 44 of toggle switch TS1, which switch is mounted on a floor bar 26 corresponding to the second ioor landing (see Figure 1), are connected to lamp PI-2 provided for the second iloor landing and to lamp PI-l provided for the first floor landing, respectively. The other side of each lamp PI-l to 5 is connected to supply line W13. The cam C is shown for the position of the car at the lirst floor landing in which position lamp PI-l is illuminated, the circuit extending from supply line W12 through contacts MSI, contacts 55 and 44 of switches TS4 to TS1, lamp PI-l to supplyline W13.

The operation of the arrangement can be visualized with reference to Figures 1 and 5. As the elevator car travels upward from the tirst floor landing, steel tape 15 rotates driving wheel 16 which, through the. intermediary crosshead 24 in its vertical path. As crosshead 24 moves bevel gears 23 and vertical screw 22, drives upward, cam C, mounted thereon, actuates toggle switch TS1 at a point corresponding to a position substantially midway between the first and second lloor landings. This switch snaps to its other position separating its contacts 44 and 55 to extinguish position indicating lamp PI-I and immediately engaging its contacts 54 and 43 to light lamp PI-Z, indicating'ithe position of the car at the second floor landing.

As the car continues upward, toggle switches TS2 to TS4 are similarly actuated in sequence by cam C to indicate the position of the car at the third, fourth and fifth door landings by lighting lamps PI-3 to 5 successively. As has been previously stated, the persistence of human vision, coupled with the fast acting nature of switches TS1 to 5 is eiective to indicate continuously the position of each car in its hoistway. The use of incandescent lamps, as inthe preferred embodiment, results in an even greater of continuity of indication, since the cooling rate of such lamps tends Vto maintain a previously energized lamp illuminated, when it is deenergized, until the next successively energized lamp becomes illuminated.

As the car moves downward, Acam C actuates switch TS4 at a point corresponding to the position of the car 'substantially midway between the fifth and fourth floor landings. This switch snaps to its other position separating its contacts 54 and 43 to extinguish lamp PI-S and immediately engaging its contacts 55 and 44 to light lamp PI-4, the latter circuit extending through W12, MSI, contacts 55 and44 of switch TS4, contacts 54 and 43 of switch TSS, PI-4 and W13. As the car proceeds downward, switches TS1 to 3 are actuated in reverse sequence, lighting lamps PI-3 to PI1 successively to indicate continuously the position of the car.

This continuous indication of the position of each car ina group of cars serving a common main lobby enables intending passengersat that main lobby and the starter to ascertain readily the relative position of the cars so that they may anticipate which car will be the next to arrive at that lobby, thereby minimizing the passenger loading time at the lobby. In the case of a car stranded between Hoor landings, the subject position indicator allows maintenance personnel to determine quickly its location in the hoistway. Also, passengers within a car equipped with the subject invention may readily determine the position of that car at any given instant and since the transfer of the indication of the position of the car occurs substantially midway between lloor landings, such passengers are advised that the car is arriving at their destination before it actually arrives there, tending to prepare them for exiting, thereby decreasing the passenger discharge time at a floor landing. v g

Although in this described embodiment of the invention the toggle switches have been shown and described as being mounted on floor bars of a selector, they may, without departing from the scope-of the invention, be vmounted in the hoistway and be actuated by a cam carried by the car. -Also, in elevator installations in which one or more cars serve only the upper floor landings of a building and operate express past the lower floor landings, one of the Vtoggle switches TS1 to 5 and one of the position indicator lamps PI-l to 5, such as switch TS1 and lamp PII-2 may be so positioned and designated as to indicate, when they are operated, that a car 4is traveling in the express portion of its hoistway.

As changes can be made in the above described Voonstruction and many apparently different embodiments of this invention can be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended'that'all matter contained inV Y said energy source to energize a Y is provided for each oor 'asfissia `sources, said-plurality of switches lbeingfone less thansaid predetermined positions, and -cammi'rig means operable in laccordance with-movement-ofsaid 'car fin said'i-hois'tway for selectively actuating said switches for causing said energy source to energize a lfirst one of said light sources corresponding to a iirst one of said predetermined posifio tions of said car in said hoistway and for removing said Y energy source from said first one of said light sources and at the same time substantially instantaneously causing second one of said light sources corresponding to a second one of said predetermined positions of said car in said hoistway as said car travels in said hoistwayy from said rst predetermined position to saidy second predetermined position, thereby continuously indicating the position of said car in said hoistway Y i 2. ln anelevator installation in which an elevator car traveling in a hoistway serves a plurality of hoor landings of a building, car position indicating mechanism cornprising, a plurality of light sources, one each of which landing served by said car, an energy source for 'energizing said light sources, a plural- -ity of mechanically actuatable electric switches adapted v for selectively connecting said energy source sources, said plurality of switches being one less than to said light said served landings, and control means operatively responsive to the position and movement of said car `-in said hoistway for selectively actuating said switches for applying said energy source tothe one of said light sources corresponding tothe present position of said car land for deenergizing said light source and instantaneously energizing a second one of said light sources corresponding to the next position of said car in accordance with the direction of .travel of said car as said car travels to said next position, thereby continuously indicating the position of said car in said hoistway.

3. Car position indicating -mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for selectively applying said energy source to one of said light sources comprises a selector mechanism havingV a plurality of horizontally dis- 'posed floor bars mounted in vertical spaced relationship to each other at predetermined points corresponding to said floor landings served by said car, each of said hoor bars except the floor bar corresponding to the lowerrnost floor landing served by said car having mounted thereon a snap action toggle switch of the single'po-le double throw latching type, said toggle switches being mounted in vertical alignment with each other, and said selector also having a crosshead actuatable along a vertical path adjacent to said toggle switches in accordance with movement of said car, said crosshead having mounted thereon a cam in position to engage and actuate said toggle switches in sequence as said crosshead is actuated along said vertical path, said toggle switches being adapted when so actuated, for electrically disconnecting said power source from the light source provided for the hoor landing corresponding to the last previous position of the car and instantaneously connectingsaid power source to the light source provided for the door landing adjacent to that floor landing in the direction of travel of said car as said car arrives substantially midway between said adjacent door landings.

4. In an elevator installation in which an elevator car traveling in a hoistway serves a plurality of oor landings, car position indicating mechanism for continuously indicating the position of said car in said hoistway, said position indicating mechanism comprising, means including a member which is actuatable along a predetermined path in accordance with movement of said car but at a speed proportional to the speed of said car, a plurality of gaat 'iight nnss,

.predetermined path .in Vspaced, relation to each other andfinposition `tobe sequentially actuated'by said member and being yadapted Ito 'interconnect selectively said energy source to :the-lig'l'ttsource yco v"poiiding to the position of the car for continuously "indicating that position.

5. In an elevator n installation in which an elevator car traveling in a hoistway serves a plurality of hoor landings, car position indicating mechanism for continuously indicating the position of said car in said hoistway, said position indicating mechanism comp-rising, means including a member which is actuatable along a predetermined path in accordance with movement of said car but at a speed proportional to the speed of said car, a plurality of electric light bulbs, one each of which is provided for each of said floor landings, a source of electrical energy for energizing said light bulbs and instantaneous switching means adapted lfor instantaneously transfering the electrical connection of said energy source from one light source to another in accordance with movement of said member to energize said light sources in accordance with car movement for continuously indicating the position of said car.

6. Car position indicating mechanism as claimed in claim 5 wherein said instantaneous switching means comprises a plurality of snap action toggle switches positioned at predetermined points along said predetermined path in position to be actuated by said member for electrically connecting said energy source to said light source corresponding to the next position of said car while at the same time disconnecting said energy source vfrom a previously energized light source corresponding to the last previous position of said car.

7. In an elevator installation in which an elevator car traveling in a hoistway of a building serves a irst oor landing and also a plurality of iloor landings located above said first floor landing, and in which selector mechanismL is provided, said selector mechanism including a crosshead which is actuatable along a fixed vertical linear path in Aaccordance with movement of said car but at a speed proportional to the speed of the said car, and a plurality of horizontally disposed hoor bars mounted in vertically spaced relationship to each other along said path at predetermined points corresponding to the positions of said floor landings in said building; a car position indicator being characterized in that there are provided a plurality of incandescent light bulbs, one each of which corresponds to one of said door landings served by said car, an electric power source for energizing said light bulbs, said power source having two output terminals, said light bulbs having one side electrically connected in parallel to one of said output terminals, a plurality of snap action toggle switches of the single pole double throw latching type, one each of which is mounted in vertical alignment with each other on said hoor bars corresponding to said oor landings located above said first floor landing, said toggle switches each having two relatively stationary contacts and a switch lever with two relatively movable contacts in position to engage said stationary contacts, power source being electrically connected to said switch lever and in turn the movable contacts of the uppermost toggle switch, one stationary contact of that toggle switch being electrically connected to the other side of the light bulb corresponding to the uppermost tioor landing and the other stationary contact being electrically connected to the switch lever of the toggle switch located directly below said uppermost toggle switch, all other of said toggle switches except the lowermost toggle switch having one stationary contact connected to its corresponding light bulb and the other connected to the switch lever `of the toggle switch located directly below it, the lower- Vmost togg'le'switchf'having one stationary contact con- {n'ccted to its corresponding lightlbulb and the other rsta- `ti`onary contact connected to the light bulb corresponding` to said rst floor landing, and a cam mounted on said crossh'ead in position to engage and actuate said toggle switches in sequence as said crosshcad is actuated along said path'v in accordance with the movement of said car in said hoistway for sequentially connecting said light bulbs across said power source in accordance Withcar i movement to indicate continuously the position of the Bendz Dec. 2, V1,941 

